Eagles stock up and slow down after 2nd round of 2024 training camp workouts originally appeared in NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Eagles have already been through six practices this summer and some of them have been in full swing.
So the 2024 version of this team is starting to come into focus a bit.
Of course, there is still a long way to go. The Eagles still have plenty more practices, a joint session with the Patriots and three preseason games before they finalize their 53-man roster.
But it’s time for another stock watch.
We did this after first three training sessions of the summer but this time we have several new names:
DT Jalen Carter
This isn’t a huge surprise, but it seems like almost every day Carter does something that makes you shake your head in the best way possible. Like the first day of pads, when he threw 363-pounder Mekhi Becton out of his way in a one-on-one. There is no doubt that expectations are high for Carter as he enters his sophomore year.
CB Quinyon Mitchell
While Isaiah Rodgers and Kelee Ringo continue to share first-team reps outside of cornerback, Mitchell is performing well. He’s getting more and more reps as the first-team linebacker, and his 1-on-1 battles against AJ Brown are already becoming can’t-miss moments of camp. The rookie is facing one of the best receivers in the NFL and he’s not going to give up. The Eagles have to love that.
BY Jalyx Hunt
There’s no doubt that Hunt is a good prospect for a third-round pick. He comes from Houston Christian and was a safety at Cornell a few years ago. But he shined a bit during this training camp and certainly doesn’t look as raw as some had hoped. He still faces an uphill battle to truly break into the rotation once he’s a rookie, but the physical tools are on display.
WR Johnny Wilson
While the Eagles wait for someone to step up and win the third receiver spot, the rookie from Florida State is looking good. The 6-foot-2 target has been getting more first-team reps in recent days and is even seeing some time indoors as a bigger slot option. Even though he wasn’t able to throw the pass, it was fun to see the Eagles try to fade him into the end zone in the public practice.
WR Great Britain Covey
After two years as a punt returner, Covey is making a strong push to earn playing time on offense in Year 3. His size may limit him a bit, but whenever Covey is on the field, he is opening up, catching passes. and looking for YAC. It also makes sense that Covey studied some other slot receivers with similar builds who have had success in Kellen Moore’s offense.
DB CJ Gardner-Johnson
The first day in the pads was probably the best of the summer for Gardner-Johnson, who stepped into the backfield for some TFL. He’s always talking and dancing and it’s clear he’s bringing energy to the Eagles practice field every day. But he’s also flying and looking good. Gardner-Johnson hasn’t played safety in a long time, but he looks quite comfortable in Vic Fangio’s defense.
LB Nolan Smith
We should probably take this with a grain of salt because Smith was able to impress as a rookie in training camp and that didn’t translate into a very productive first season in the NFL. But his diving ability is really fun to watch and he’s put on three pounds of muscle this off-season, which should help with speed-to-power movements. Of course, there was a performance where the great Fred Johnson got his hands on Smith and erased him from a play; That’s the fear of the smaller rusher.
RB Will Shipley
Even though Shipley had a tough practice at the Linc on Thursday night — he messed up in pass protection and was part of a botched exchange — it’s still fair to say his arrow is pointing upward. The Clemson rookie looks especially smooth catching the ball on defense and is making the most of those opportunities when he gets them. With Saquon Barkley and Kenny Gainwell ahead of him, it won’t be easy to earn snaps this season, but Shipley is on track to see the field at least a little.
Low stock
RB Tyrion Davis-Price
While the former third-round pick from San Francisco has looked good running the football between the tackles, he has already made several drops this training camp. While the other running backs looked great catching the ball, Davis-Price did not.
OL Matt Hennessy
The Eagles signed Hennessy in March, but continue to add more interior linemen like Max Scharping, Nick Gates as free agents and Trevor Keegan and Dylan McMahon in the draft. After injuries to the top two guards entering training camp, several other players got first-team reps, but Hennessy did not. And after starting camp as a second-team center, rookie McMahon (and Brett Toth as well) has stepped into that role and Hennessy is the second-team right guard.
Hello Tyler Steen
After starting training camp as the right field guard, he suffered an ankle injury on Day 3 and missed some time. Mekhi Becton has taken his spot at right guard and it appears there is now legitimate competition for that role. Steen better hope he returns to action soon.
TE Albert Okwuegbunam
It’s not that Albert O is having bad training, but he is known for his athletic ability and ability as a pass catcher and it has been a relatively quiet summer. Grant Calcaterra is running away with the TE2 job and CJ Uzomah is struggling. But even with these difficulties, Okwuegbunam did not take advantage of it. If he does, he could earn a spot on the roster.
QB Kenny Pickett
It’s clear that Pickett has a very good arm and it’s even fair to say that he’s having a better camp than Marcus Mariota did as a backup last year. But he still doesn’t look comfortable in this offense — he certainly isn’t as comfortable as Jalen Hurts. I was also more impressed with Tanner McKee, who has been getting some second-team reps the last few days. Pickett probably isn’t in any real danger of losing his job on QB2, but you’d like to see more.
QB Will Grier
The fourth-string quarterback doesn’t have much opportunity to throw the ball and when he does, it hasn’t been impressive. If there was any idea that he could compete for a place in the squad, that was not the case.
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